Thanks to the generosity of the Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust, University of Delaware nursing students will receive financial support to pursue their education.

The newly-created Alfred I. duPont Nursing Scholars Fund provides the University $100,000 to support an annual scholarship for eligible nursing students. This endowed fund is designed to last in perpetuity growing year to year, ensuring that it will support the education of nursing students for many years to come.

The gift is a fitting tribute to Alfred I. duPont, the well-known philanthropist and Nemours’ founder. He was one of America’s major turn-of-the-century philanthropists and left behind a lasting legacy of serving the needy. His vision and compassion have given hundreds of thousands of sick children the hope of realizing their own possibilities.

Since 1935, the trust has distributed approximately $3 billion to its primary beneficiary, The Nemours Foundation, for the care and treatment of children primarily in Delaware and Florida; it has helped hundreds of thousands of sick children find health and new hope for the future, regardless of ability to pay.

The endowed fund was presented at the 2017 College of Health Sciences Gala.

“The Alfred I. duPont Nursing Scholars Fund is an important contribution to the education of nurses, critical to advancing the health care workforce,” said Emily Hauenstein, senior associate dean for the School of Nursing. “UD and Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children have long partnered to support nursing education and practice. This gift underscores our joint commitment to a well-educated and high quality nursing workforce. This unrestricted, endowed scholarship allows the School of Nursing to support a diverse student body at both the undergraduate and graduate education levels.”

About the School of Nursing

Housed in the University of Delaware College of Health Sciences, the School of Nursing (SON) is a leader in nursing education, research and practice in Delaware. Graduating 139 undergraduate students this May, its two pre-licensure programs and RN to BSN programs have long contributed to a high-quality nursing workforce in Delaware and regionally.

SON received 1,900 applications for the incoming undergraduate class and accepted 196 students.

The school has implemented two doctoral programs — a doctorate in nursing science and a doctorate in nursing practice — that provide opportunities for post-baccalaureate and post-master’s nurses to specialize in research or advanced practice nursing. Two nursing science Ph.D. graduates are among the University’s May graduates and received the only research doctorates in nursing granted this year in the state.